Philippines morning news for May 27

Govt set to submit record P4.1-t budget to Congress
The Budget Department plans to submit to Congress a record P4.1-trillion national government budget for 2020 on the same day President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address in July this year, acting Budget Secretary Janet Abuel said over the weekend.— Manilastandard.net

Philippines bans official travels to Canada over garbage spat
The Philippine government confirmed on Sunday (May 26) that it has banned all government officials and employees from making official trips to Canada, a move that the country is serious in diminishing diplomatic relations with Canada over the trash dispute.— The Straits Times

Election violence to trigger clan violence says NGO
FRAUD and violence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during the recently concluded national elections will lead to a multitude of conflicts, a UK-based non-government organization reported.— BusinessWorld Online

Senate cuts projected take from tobacco tax
THE MEASURE imposing a higher excise tax on tobacco products, as proposed by the Senate, is expected to generate P15 billion in revenues next year, the Department of Finance (DoF) said over the weekend.— BusinessWorld Online

Duterte replaces MWSS chief
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte announced on Thursday that he has chosen a new chairman of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), saying retired Army General Ricardo Morales will take over.— BusinessWorld Online

Controversial China-funded Binondo-Intramuros Bridge put on hold
The controversial China-funded project to put up the Binondo-Intramuros Friendship Bridge, which may cause the delisting of San Agustin Church and other Philippine Baroque churches from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage List, has been suspended pending the submission by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of technical studies on the potential archeological and cultural risks of the construction, according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).— Inquirer.net

BSP tightens rules on selection of external auditors shares
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has tightened the guidelines on the selection of external auditors for banks and financial institutions to preserve the integrity of financial reports and transparency in the financial system.— The Philippine Star

TradeNet to link 76 gov’t agencies by 2022 — DoF
SEVENTY-SIX government agencies are expected to be connected to TradeNet, the National Single Window System for Customs clearances, by 2022, or else will be removed from the list of regulators, according to Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran.— BusinessWorld Online

C-5, EDSA ‘deadliest’ roads in 2018
Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) and EDSA have the highest number of fatal road crashes in Metro Manila in 2018, according to data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).— The Philippine Star

Merely 2.3% spent from China-funded NCR flood project
NEARLY two years into a project, the disbursement ratio for the China-funded Metro Manila Flood Management Project has remained at only 2.3 percent, according to documents from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).— Business Mirror

Common tower rules eased
The Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) recently released a more relaxed common tower policy that will accelerate the rollout of these structures in the country.— Malaya

Tax tobacco to the max
SOCIAL Watch Philippines (SWP), a citizens’ watchdog, urged senators to enact a good sin tax law to further increase the tax on cigarettes by P60 per pack.— The Manila Times

Garbage to be returned to Hong Kong
THE garbage that was illegally imported into Misamis Oriental from Hong Kong will be sent back, Malacañang said on Friday.— BusinessWorld Online

Senate bicam committee okays bill ensuring full electric power
A bicameral conference committee composed of lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives has approved a bill establishing a mechanism that will allow for the responsive maintenance and rehabilitation of transmission, sub-transmission, and distribution lines to ensure the uninterrupted conveyance of electricity from power plants to consumers.— Manilastandard.net

Mandatory CSP in energy sector pushed
The International Chamber of Commerce Philippines (ICCP), the national committee of the World Business Organization, supports the mandatory implementation of the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) in the energy sector saying this is good for investors, ensures greater competition, power supply security and competitive tariffs.— Manila Bulletin

8 slain, 15 hurt in Sulu clash
Eight persons were killed while 15 others were wounded in an encounter between government security forces and Abu Sayyaf bandits in Patikul, Sulu on Saturday.— The Philippine Star

91 more OFWs infected with HIV
An additional 91 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in March, up by 14 percent from 80 in the same month last year, the lone representative of OFWs in Congress said Saturday.— The Philippine Star

Nestlé, Valenzuela launch 1st plastic recovery program
Nestlé Philippines and the city government of Valenzuela have signed a memorandum of understanding for the country’s first citywide program to recover post-consumer waste laminates such as sachets and used beverage cartons by sorting and collecting them for co-processing in cement kilns, or for recycling and upcycling.— Manilastandard.net

German bank may lend $2.2 B for FGen LNG projects
Germany’s KfW IPEX-Bank is eyeing to extend financing to the $2.2 billion worth of integrated liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and gas-fired power projects of First Gen Corporation that are now gaining traction into implementation phases.— Manila Bulletin

Sales of fast moving consumer goods rise 10.9%
FILIPINOS have been shopping more as the volume sales of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in the Philippines has risen by 10.9 percent in 2018 compared to a year ago, according to Kantar’s FMCG Monitor.— Sun Star

Gatchalian: Senate to push for sin tax, mandatory ROTC this week
With six more session days left before the 17th Congress adjourns session, the Senate wants to pass at least two bills this week –one involving higher taxes for cigarettes, and another reimposing the mandatory training program for high school students.— GMA News

Sea dispute high on agenda of Duterte’s 7th meet with Abe
President Duterte will renew the Philippines’ pledge to uphold freedom of navigation and the exercise of self-restraint in the South China Sea when he meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo next week.— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cebu LRT seen operational by 2022
The top presidential aide for the Visayas has expressed confidence that the long-dreamed of body that will harmonize development in Metro Cebu and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project would materialize now that the Province of Cebu and the City of Cebu have new leaders belonging to one party.— Philippine News Agency

Iloilo donates lot for DILG reg’l office
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 6 (Western Visayas) has secured a lot donation intended for its permanent office building from the Iloilo provincial government.— Philippine News Agency

Iloilo health office calls for blood donors
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) has urged residents to help in the blood donation drive to aid the supply of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).— Philippine News Agency

Will Marawi become a terrorist magnet?
Two years after the Philippine city of Marawi was overrun by jihadists it remains in ruins, with experts warning that stalled reconstruction efforts are bolstering the appeal of extremist groups in the volatile region.— The Asean Post

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Philippines morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Philippines news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Stella-maris Ewudolu

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.